How To Deal With Repressed Anger?

Anger is one of the base emotions we all possess. Anger can take many forms and can be felt differently by different people. Some people can healthily process anger and for some anger is the emotion that exercises its control.

Today we are going to talk about one form of anger that can have a huge impact on your mental and emotional well-being. Repressed anger is said to be one of the most dangerous forms of anger. What’s problematic here is the people who have repressed anger and are usually unaware of it.

Therefore, it’s important to understand what repressed anger is and how to release repressed anger. Anger is an emotion that can easily take over your life and make you feel handicapped emotionally.

Let’s have a look at what repressed anger looks like and how one can deal with repressed anger…

What Is Repressed Anger?

Repressed anger is a kind of anger that is stored in some corner of your brain and body. This phenomenon of storing anger is usually unintentional or unconscious. An individual who has repressed anger has either unknowingly denied or unintentionally pushed away their anger.

Most researchers have found in several studies that repressed anger has something to do with having an emotionally traumatic experience in the past or present. In children, repressed anger is seen if the child has been through childhood trauma or neglect.

Likewise, adults can repress anger if they have been in an emotionally draining or abusive relationship. To understand repressed anger, one needs to know what it looks like. Let’s have a look at some common signs of repressed anger.

Symptoms Of Repressed Anger

As you read earlier repressed anger is like storying your anger unknowingly in your mind and body instead of accepting, processing, and channelizing your anger. Repressed anger can manifest into severe mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, etc.

Let’s look at the symptoms of repressed anger so that recognizing it becomes easy;

• Never feel anger when it’s due, instead feel sad
• Sarcasm and cynicism become a part of your speech
• Avoid confrontation and conflicts
• When someone accuses you of being angry you tend to become extremely defensive
• Have an obsession with having control over everything in life
• Unforgettable with others sharing their feelings and emotions with you
• Find it difficult to set up boundaries
• You isolate yourself when you’re upset
• You become extremely uncomfortable when you find yourself being angry
• You tend to complain a lot if things don’t go as planned
• Self-criticism has become a ritual
• Experience extreme stress and anxiety
• You feel resentful of others
• Ignore things that make you feel angry
• Feel guilty whenever you feel angry

How To Release Repressed Anger?

Did you observe any of these symptoms of repressed anger in you? If yes, worry no more! We are here to help with a few tips and tricks that you can use to deal with repressed anger. But before we get to that, I need to tell you something.

Repressed anger, if not processed properly, can put you at risk of developing severe mental health conditions. If you think you might have repressed anger, visit a mental health professional for proper guidance.

You can use the following tips as coping strategies and not as treatment. Let’s have a look at the things you can do to release repressed anger;

1. Understand your anger: sometimes your response to something is influenced by completely different stimuli. Whenever you feel angry, instead of avoiding it try to find the root cause of it. Keep connecting the dots until you completely understand where your anger is coming from.
2. Find where anger is stored in your body: anger is repressed in different parts of your body and your brain. To deal with repressed anger, you’ll have to relax your body first. Try to see where in your body you have tension and soreness, maybe your anger is stored there.

Also Read: This Is Where Emotions Are Stored In Our Body (Why Knowing This Matters)

3. Try journaling: journaling is a very helpful tool especially when you’re trying to understand your feelings and emotions. While journaling you know or unknowingly express your anger and negative feelings.  It will help you in accepting and processing your repressed anger.
4. Identify and stop your angry thoughts: when anger is repressed, you don’t have angry thoughts. That is because your angry thoughts are hidden behind your self-critical thoughts. Whenever you have thoughts that doubt your worth and value, interrupt them.
5. Find a way to let your anger out: the best way to do that is to have a physically active hobby. It will not only release the repressed anger from your mind but also your body. Try playing a sport daily or exercising, running, cycling, etc.
6. Try meditation: Meditative activities and exercises can help you in managing your symptoms of repressed anger. When you feel free mentally, it’s easier to take action against repressing your anger.
7. Respect your feelings: it’s important to respect your feelings because they are always trying to give you a message. Whenever you feel anger, try to accept it without judging yourself and allow yourself to process your feelings and emotions.

That’s All Folks!

I hope you found this blog about repressed anger and how to release repressed anger helpful and informative. Do share this blog with your friends and family so that they can easily identify repressed anger in their relationship or elsewhere and know what can be done.

Thanks for reading.

Take care and stay safe.